According to more than 2.8 million votes according to the final result of the first round, Hakainde Hichilema was elected the seventh president of Zambia. Zambians have raised their voices to this businessman, nicknamed “HH”, largely for his promise to turn the economy around. From now on, the new head of state must meet voters’ expectations.
“This election was a referendum on the economy,” Nicole Beardsworth, a professor of politics at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, told RFI. Zambia, a South African country with 17 million people, is facing a complicated economic situation. 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, and is struggling to survive.
“Voters queuing at polling stations said they could not even get married because the men did not have the money to pay the dowry. As young women as I talked to said they voted for Hakainde Hichilema to find a man, says the expert, who spent five weeks in Lusaka and led a research network on the presidential election.
While Hichilema’s victory, nicknamed “HH”, was accompanied by cheers in Lusaka and a concert of praise from African leaders, Beardsworth worries that expectations are too high.
“The Zambians trust him to turn the economy around quickly. This could be a trap, the specialist believes. I’m afraid the weight of these expectations weighs heavily on his shoulders. “Hakainde Hichilema must very quickly address several priority projects to reform Zambia, as a priority take the blame.
Zambia, Africa’s second largest copper producer, owes more than $ 12 billion to foreign creditors. At the end of 2020, it became the first country to default on payment on the interest on its debt. About a third of this debt is owed to China.
During the campaign, Hakainde Hichilema criticized his rival for relying too much on infrastructure and not investing enough in productivity. Chinese companies contributed more than 80% to Zambian construction projects, as inflation increased.
Negotiations with FMI The lack of clarity in these transactions with China had cooled the International Monetary Fund, which during the presidential campaign had reversed its negotiations with Zambia to renegotiate an emergency loan.
“The new administration must be much more transparent than the previous one by explaining what this debt looks like and how it intends to repay it,” explains Nicole Beardsworth.
Currently, the IMF plans to allocate special transfer credits to Zambia by the end of the month, so that it can borrow and buy without incurring more debt.
The increase in copper prices, which is partly supported by the rise in electric cars, should also benefit the new administration, according to analysts. “IMF assistance, especially to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, will give Hichilema some leeway,” Beardsworth added, acknowledging that this leeway will not last forever.
Political rights Another issue that Hakainde Hichilema is eagerly awaiting: the issue of public freedoms.
Hichilema was arrested fifteen times since he was in politics and promised on Monday “better democracy” and respect for human rights.
One of the most impressive things about his speech was his promise to remove the “bosses” [«bras armés» des deux grands partis du pays ndlr] of all aspects of Zambian life, ”explains Nic Cheeseman, Professor, Democracy Specialist at the University of Birmingham
The “cadres”, self-defense groups close to the ruling party, have been accused of instigating violence in the country, and according to witnesses, they are said to be the cause of the disturbances that have arisen between supporters of the ruling party. rival camp in early August, which claimed the lives of two people.
“If Hakainde Hichilema succeeds in excluding them, it will give a boost to the country’s political and economic freedoms,” concludes Nic Cheeseman.
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